A fire destroys a 75-year-old mall at Atlantic and Valley boulevards, the crossroads of L.A.'s Chinese community.

By David Pierson, Times Staff WriterJuly 17, 2007

There were the Cantonese-speaking bakers on the corner, the Vietnamese-Chinese herbalist a few storefronts to the west and a mainland Chinese restaurant next door that made a pork stew named after Mao Tse-tung.

The salmon-colored stucco building in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley's Chinese business district is the story of three decades of Chinese immigration into the region — an example of how Chinese from all over the world came to these suburbs, clawed out a living side by side and survived in this ever-burgeoning and competitive community.

Have you tried dim sum at Triumphal Palace? If not, it's a good point of comparison with Sea Harbour. The steamed turnip cake there is very good. The texture is almost like a mousse or thick custard, with bits of pork. Steamed vs. fried is just apples vs. oranges. You're not going to get steamed turnip to "set properly" by steaming it even more. They also have a baked turnip dish you might be interested in: pastry-like crispy shell filled with gooey turnip. Very good, but again, different texture, consistency, and flavor, and not much point trying to reference it back to fried turnip cakes you might get at NBC or 888.

Sounds like the OP went in with a lot of preconceptions about how certain dishes should taste, based on personal experience. I think it's best to approach a place like Sea Harbour, especially if it's first time, with a blank slate and see it as an opportunity to conceptually reassess things -- such as what is or isn't har gow?

Personally, I think Sea Harbour is a great asset, and I feel lucky to live so close to it. Sure, it's different from trad dim sum, but once you get away from orthodoxy and just appreciate the freshness and precise execution of ideas, you'll enjoy it that much more.

It's one of those places where, whether or not you find it agreeable to your personal taste, there's not denying that the dishes are executed just as they intended them to be.

I have yet to have a bad experience there, and their har gow is my favorite out of the major LA dim sum restaurants. A whole shrimp is usually what I expect, also!

What I like about his work is that it has a sense of place and time. It's not frivolous food writing in vacuo. I've learned much from him over the years, not just about food, but about LA's continual evolution as a city and as a nexus of cultures and peoples. I always walk away knowing a little more about the place I live in, and with a greater curiosity for it.

I don't always agree with his assessments, but the way he captures LA's identity and personality, along with its history and possibilities, is always spot on.

Has anyone been to this place called Hunan Mao Jia, next to Yung Ho? Was there for the first time the other night on a pick-a-place-at-random visit. I thought the food was just okay -- maybe a little sloppy.

I'm curious what others think about it, if there are some recommended dishes that are worthwhile there.

Bulgarini is delicious. One of the best gelati around happens to be a cart in a movie theater.

I usually avoid Old Town like the plague on weekends, but if you must, Xiomara's chocolate bread pudding souffle is worth trying. Be forewarned it's a substantial dessert -- better shared, especially after a heavy meal.

With all due respect, Mi Piace is the type of place that piss me off to no end. Bad service, mediocre food, overpriced, and worst of all they really don't seem to give a crap because, for some reason or another, they think they're all that. Incredibly annoying.

I second Azeen's, Tibet Nepal House, and Cafe Santorini, though these aren't exactly at the budget end of the spectrum. I've always had good experiences at Santorini, barring the occasional slow service when crowded. It's a good spot for summer evening dining on the patio, and for larger parties. Santorini is probably one of the less annoying restaurants in the Old Town area.

Saladang and Saladang Song are definitely overpriced for what it is. Your tab subsidizes the admittedly striking architecture and the bountiful display of orchids everywhere. The food is alright. For budget Thai, I like Chandra on Arroyo.

I strongly recommend Europane on Colorado. The flavors may be toned down for some palates but I love their sandwiches.

Tonny's. Definitely.

La Estrella on Fair Oaks has good tacos and fish tacos, though there are tons of other cheap Mexican food to be had above the freeway. Find your favorite. Puebla Taco on Lake is not the cheapest but they have a great chile verde burrito.

Xiao long bao was as good as I remember from last time, plump and straightforward. Reasonable people can argue about styles here but I just love Mei Long's version because -- if dumplings can be said to possess it -- it's got moxie. No complaints with the spare ribs. We were so pleased with the leek with bamboo shoots. It hit all the right notes for us -- earthy, fragrant, tender-crunchy. The missus and I struggled to finish all the food, but we got the eight-treasure rice anyway. Utensil-fight over the "treasures" ensued.

All in all, easily the most satisfying meal this month so far, handily beating out Mozza this past weekend!

I've been to the Rosemead Shin Sen Gumi maybe a dozen times this past year. It's addicting. Haven't been to their other locations so I can't say how it stacks up, but our visits have all been great. I'm not a ramen connoisseur by any means so take it for what it's worth, but I prefer it to anything else I've had in LA, including Daikokuya.

I know the Red Cat Lounge (SW corner of the Disney Concert Hall complex) has free wireless, but never tried it myself, nor do I know the pricing on the drinks. But a full-service bar with internet sounds pretty nice!

Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reply. I'll have to give Yazmin another try; maybe I've judged too quickly. I had had a long string of good meals at KL so it definitely seemed like an anomaly that time...

What about Sake House on 8th and La Brea? It's a small Japanese beer & snack type joint, with a great low-key atmosphere. I think it's a perfect place for a few friends to unwind over a pitcher and some yakitori. Easily within $20/person if you're not starving.

Is there really not much else other than Yazmin? Been there once, and I thought it was merely okay.

Been to Kuala Lumpur many times over the years, but not since a particularly bad experience last time with a dish that was clearly over-salted. A Malay-Chinese friend at the meal considered it pretty poor. Probably a one-time mistake? I didn't know they had closed recently.

Uh, the address in the original post and J. Gold's article is wrong. It's actually 140 W Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, i.e., the San Gabriel Square complex with 99 Ranch, Sam Woo, etc. Dong Ting Chun is on the second level, just above Sam Woo BBQ.